At the Ashland Swap
When my bike beloved Jamis Aurora was stolen at the end of August, I became a bit of a vigilante. I had heard of several instances where stolen bikes were recovered, and at first, I was sure that with a little bit of work, I’d be one of the lucky ones.
In my imagination, I expected that I would visit a swap, and there would be my bike, with a ray of light shining onto it. Since I knew my bike inside and out, I expected that I would call the police, and take my bike home that day.
While that never happened, I did see disgusting amounts of bikes that I was certain were stolen. I saw Bianchi Pistas being sold for $100, I saw Terry’s, numerous Treks, bikes with prescription Inhalers and Electras. I even saw another Jamis Aurora. However, I knew that it wasn’t mine.
The swap I visited most frequently was the Swap-O-Rama, (http://www.swap-o-rama.com) located at 4100 S. Ashland in Chicago. It costs $2 to get in. This swap is an interesting place, and almost anything imaginable can be found for sale here. Clothing, prescription glasses, folk art, pornography, live poultry, pets, clothing, gloves, furniture, car parts, tools, fruit, pots and much more can be found for sale here. Oh, and stolen bikes. Heck, I even saw a bounce-castle and pony rides on some visits.
The Swap-O-Rama has indoor and outdoor areas. The indoor area is more or less like a mini-mall with numerous small businesses that are more or less permanent. The outdoor areas are generally rented by the day and the sellers vary a great deal. When the weather is nice, the swap is a very busy and bustling place.
Safety is an important consideration when visiting any new area in a big city. The swap has private security as well as off-duty police hired as security. Thefts are frequent in the parking lot and there have been incidences of violence at the swap and in the parking lot. According to Chicago Police Trackers, there are quite a few arrests at the swap for violations such as simple battery, pick pocketing, and vehicle vandalism. At the same time, the location is visited by hundreds, if not thousands of people.
For me, going to the swap was an acceptable risk. Even when confronting thieves, I had never felt particularly unsafe. However, each person has a different attitude towards this and needs to make a decision and needs to think when making their decision. I’m just sharing my experience when visiting the swap. Others may have a different opinion.
I knew that bikes generally end up at the swap shortly after they are stolen. I visited early on the Saturday following when my bike was stolen. The swap is also open on some weekdays. My bike could have even been sold the very day it was stolen, during the week. Over the numerous visits I made to the swap, I’d see many bikes with no listings on the Chicago Stolen Bike registry. However, I’d often see the same bike show up at the registry later in the day. Thieves act fast.
We got there pretty early in the morning, around 8 am. The swap was in full swing, though there weren’t a great number of bikes…and mine certainly wasn’t one of them. There was no light shining from the heavens. Over my additional trips to the swap, I was never able to identify a best time to visit. It really varied, though often I’d see the most bikes in the late morning.
I visited the swap a lot. Probably more times than was really healthy. I was pleased that I was able to help reunite a few other folks with their bikes. When I did have a bike that matched something on the registry, I’d always have security or police handle the actual confrontation and serial number check. Generally security was helpful, though they just confiscated the bike. With police assistance, I had one seller arrested. He had 6 bikes, but I think it was the grocery bag full of GPS’s and his own bad attitude tipped the scales.
Going to the swap made me realize how pervasive bike theft was in Chicago. It also helped me feel like I did what I could to get my bike back. When I got my new bike, I was able to ride mostly guilt-free. Hopefully, you’ll never be in my shoes, but if you are, I hope this information can be useful to you.
Things to consider:
- If your bike is stolen, make sure you do everything on this list. You’ll definitely need a police report if you hope to recover your bike.
- While there are some people who intermittently check out Ashland Swap, they do not go every weekend. If your bike is stolen, there isn’t someone automatically looking out for your. If you want to get your bike back, your best chances might be to get some friends together and check out the swap on your own. You can contact them through The Chainlink at the Bike Theft Task Force Group they may be able to get together someone to help, but since you’ll want to act quickly, there are no guarantees
- It is best to take evidence that your bike is your own. If you have your receipt and a serial number for the bike, bring that along with the police report you filed. If you don’t have that, you can also bring a picture of you with the bike, a picture of the bike, or even a written list of distinguishing features about the bike. TIP: If you bought your bike new, there is a chance that the bike shop where you bought your bike has record of your serial number.
- Your own personal safety is of the utmost importance. It is possible that violence can occur at an event like this, but there are things you can do to decrease the chances of that happening to you. If you see your own bike, do not approach it by yourself. The Swap has security guards posted by the entrance who will assist you to identify and reclaim your bike. You also have the option to call police. By having professionals handle the confrontation, your own personal safety can be increased.
- Security can be found at the entrances and also in the office within the building. When you arrive, note where you see security so that you can catch them quickly if you see your bike.
- Act casual. There are people there selling stolen property. If they think someone is there to bust them, they may pack up and leave or signal to others that they should not come. This will drive the stolen bikes further under ground. Even worse this could target you as someone hoping to hurt their livelihood bring greater risk to you. Don’t pass out flyers regarding your bike, just act as you normally do when visiting a flea market or community garage sale.
- Do not buy a stolen bike, or buy back your own bike. While this seems like the easiest and least confrontational way to get back your own bike, doing this provides a financial incentive for bike theft. If you have evidence that your bike is your own, you don’t need to do this.
- The Ashland Swap O Rama covers quite a bit of ground and has an ever-changing layout. Bikes are generally being sold in the outside area. Bikes are also often being sold by individuals who push around one or two bikes and do not have dedicated booths. You may also find individuals selling bikes from vehicles in the parking lot. I would recommend walking around the entire outdoor area and also scouting the parking lot for your stolen bike. Bikes are often also located on top of vehicles, inside of vehicles, or just leaning against walls without being affiliated with a specific seller. They can be moved quickly as well.
